Kate Hudson learned a lot about acting from starring opposite Naomi Watts in 2003’s Le Divorce.
“I’ll never forget looking at Naomi Watts’ script,” Hudson, 46, recalled to Jeremy Allen White in the Sunday, December 14, episode of Variety & CNN’s “Actors on Actors” series. “I saw her notes and was like, ‘Well, I’m really underperforming.’”
According to Hudson, Watts, now 57, had her script completely marked up with notes on her character.
“You have to get that highlighter out. Figure out, ‘Who is this person to me?’” Hudson said. “Naomi was so committed to her craft. I was like, ‘Let’s get wine and smoke cigarettes and party on location in Paris.’ She’d sit at home and know her lines.”
Hudson and Watts played siblings in the 2003 romantic comedy, where Hudson’s Isabel travels to Paris to visit her pregnant sister, Roxeanne. In the film, Roxeanne’s husband leaves her for his mistress while Isabel gets entangled in an affair of her own.
“What I learned from Naomi is that it’s OK to take risks in your choices,” Hudson said on Sunday’s episode. “I have a friend who worked with Cate Blanchett who had a similar experience.”
While Hudson took a lot from Watts since Le Divorce wrapped, the Song Sung Blue star’s acting process has still continued to evolve.
“It changes for every job. When I was younger, I was incredibly spontaneous,” Hudson said. “I work well with people throwing s*** at me. I also love comedy. That side of me likes to have fresh ideas all the time and not be too rehearsed, but as I started working with different actors I learned from and admire, you steal stuff.”
According to Hudson, she also tries to channel her personal “energy and optimism” into her various roles.
“I think in life, I choose to tackle it with energy and optimism every day. I try to bring that to set, maybe it has to do with how I grew up,” the Almost Famous actress said. “I really like being in the circus. I’m not an actor that goes into a hole in my trailer. Even if I’m having a tough day, you become razor sharp in moments where you have to feel or channel something.”
Hudson also uses music to get into character.
“Certain songs evoke certain emotions for me. I’m pretty good at accessing emotion, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “I can cry all the time, but when I can’t get there, there are songs. Actually, [Bruce Springsteen’s] ’My Father’s House’ from Nebraska is one of those songs. Sometimes, I’ll get an [earpiece]. If there’s a scene I’m doing that needs energy, I’ll ask for one and just have sound blasting.”
In Song Song Blue, specifically, Hudson plays Claire Sardina in the autobiographical film about a Neil Diamond cover band opposite Hugh Jackman as her duet partner and husband.
“It was about a tip jar musician who didn’t get the opportunity to see stardom,” she teased of the upcoming film. “They did it because they love it.”
Song Sung Blue premieres in theaters Thursday, December 25.
